Demystification of the Islamic Rule in
India, Part I

by Ibrahim Lone

17 Nov, 2008

A lot has been said about the peace and
prosperity that was abound in India during the Islamic Rule. Even
British historians in their zeal to win over Muslims as their allies
distorted the true history of the Indian subcontinent under Muslim
rule. Apparently most Islamic nations including the breakaway
nations of Pakistan and Bangladesh report a distorted version of
Indian history under the Muslim rule. In this fabricated version of
Islamic History India every attempt has been made by Muslim to
portray Muslim rulers as great Secularist, which is an oxymoron in
itself, compared to the native Indian kings who are portrayed as
Cowards and incestuous rulers.

Wole
Soyinka, African Nobel Laureate, while delivering the 20th Nehru
Memorial Lecture on November 13, 1988, made an important, though by
no means a new, observation that the colonial histories have been
written from the European viewpoint. Speaking about Indian
histories, he said that there is a big question mark on everything
that the British historians have written. He added that serious
efforts are being made by historians back home to rewrite African
history. Perhaps the time has come to rewrite the true Indian
history but by historians of the subcontinent. Thanks to the
attitude of Indian politicians and leftist historians, who dominate
the scene, no effort has been made to unearth the true history is
Islamic rule. Even the mere mention of the excess committed by
Muslims on the natives is considered as non-Kosher. However thanks
to Internet Forums such as FFI and Islam-Watch, the truth can
finally be told and it is the truth that will eventually set us
free. The barbarities of Muslim rulers cover no bounds. The Islamic
rule in India covers large number of topics and a span of almost 700
years. It is not possible to cover all of these in one article. I
will, therefore, break up my presentation into a series of articles
which will cover various topics.

It is common knowledge that, if you want to break a people, all
you have to do is to attack their belief system. This was precisely
the objective of Muslim rulers who came to India. The best way to
undermine the Hindus and Buddhists in their own country was to
destroy their Temples and Viharas and this is exactly what the
Muslim rulers did.

There are several books in which the Muslim scholars of yore have
recorded the barbarism of the Muslim rulers; they devoted scrolls of
paper to prove the destruction of the native Indian psyche. Of
course, the Muslim theologians of today don’t put these treatises on
display for they might just demolish the beautiful picture of Islam
they paint in front of the world. So I will not give any arguments
of my own, rather I will let the history written by the Muslim
scholars themselves do the talking.

The literary evidence stated below is in chronological order with
reference to the time at which a particular work was written. Below
I have listed the sources of my information, the authors of the
treatises and the exact quotes from their books.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Name Of The Book: Hindustan Islami Ahad mein (India
under Islamic Rule)

Name Of The Historian: Maulana Abdul Hai.

About The Author: He is a highly respected scholar and taken as
an authority on Islamic history. Because ofhis scholarship and his
services to Islam, Maulana Abdul Hai was appointed as the Rector of
the DarulNadwa Ullum Nadwatal-Ulama. He continued in that post till
his death in February 1923.

The following section is taken from the chapter Hindustan ki
Masjidein (The mosques of India) of the above-mentioned
book. Here we can see a brief description of a few important mosques
in India and how each one of them was built upon plundered Hindu
temples.

1. Qawwat al-Islam Mosque at Delhi:

"According to my findings the first mosque of Delhi is Qubbat
al-Islam or Quwwat al_Islam which, Qutubud-Din Aibak constructed
in H. 587 after demolishing the hindu temple built by Prithvi Raj
and leaving certain parts of the temple outside the mosque proper;
and when he returned from Ghazni in H. 592 he started building,
under orders from Shihabud -Din Ghori, a huge mosque of inimitable
red stones, and certain parts of the temple were included in the
mosque..."

2. The Mosque at Jaunpur:

"This was built by Sultan Ibrahim Sharqi with chiseled stones.
Originally it was a Hindu temple after demolishing which he
constructed the mosque. It is known as the Atala Masjid.."

3. The Mosque at Qanauj:

"It is well known that this mosque was built on the foundations
of some Hindu temple that stood here. The mosque was built by
Ibrahim Sharqi in H. 809 as is recorded in Gharbat Nigar"

4. Jami Masjid at Etwah:

"This mosque stands on the bank of the Jamuna at Etawah. There
was a Hindu temple at this place, on the site of which this mosque
was constructed.."

5. Babri Masjid at Ayodhya:

"This mosque was constructed by Babar at Ayodhya which Hindus
call the birth place of Ramchandraji...Sita had a temple here in
which she lived and cooked for her husband. On that very site
Babar constructed this mosque in H. 963 "

6. Mosque at Benaras:

"Mosque of Benares was built by Alamgir Aurangzeb on the site
of Bisheshwar Temple. That temple was very tall and held as holy
among Hindus. On this very site and with those very stones he
constructed a lofty mosque, and its ancient stones were rearranged
after being embedded in the walls of the mosque. It is one of the
renowned mosques of Hindustan."

7. Mosque at Mathura:

"Alamgir Aurangzeb built a mosque at Mathura. This mosque was
built on site of the Govind Dev Temple which was very strong and
beautiful as well as exquisite.."

-------

Name Of The Book: Futuhu'l-Buldan

Name Of The Historian: Ahmed bin Yahya bin Jabir

About The Author: This author is also known as al- Biladhuri. He
lived at the court of Khalifa Al- Mutawakkal (AD 847-861) and died
in AD 893. His history is one of the major Arab chronicles.

The Muslim Rulers He Wrote About:

1. Ibn Samurah (AD 653) Siestan (Iran)

"On reaching Dawar, he surrounded the enemy in the mountain of
Zur, where there was a famous Hindu temple. ...Their idol of Zur
was of gold, and its eyes were two rubies. The zealous Musalmans
cut off its hands and plucked out its eyes, and then remarked to
the Marzaban how powerless was his idol..."

2. Qutaibah bin Muslim al-Bahili (r. 705-715) Samarkand (Farghana)

"Other authorities say that Kutaibah granted peace for 700,000
dirhams and entertainment for the Moslems for three days. The
terms of surrender included also the houses of the idols and the
fire temples. The idols were thrown out, plundered of their
ornaments and burned..."

3. Mohammed bin Qasim (r. 712-715) Debal (Sindh)

"...The town was thus taken by assault, and the carnage endured
for three days. The governor of the town, appointed by Dahir, fled
and the priests of the temple were massacred. Muhammad marked a
place for the Musalmans to dwell in, built a mosque, and left
4,000 Musalmans to garrison the place..."

"...'Ambissa son of Ishak Az Zabbi, the governor of Sindh, in
the Khilafat of Mu'tasim billah knocked down the upper part of the
minaret of the temple and converted it into a prison..."
Multan (Punjab)

"...He then crossed the Biyas, and went towards Multan...Muhammad
destroyed the water-course; upon which the inhabitants, oppressed
with thirst, surrendered at discretion. He massacred the men
capable of bearing arms, but the children were taken captive, as
well as ministers of the temple, to the number of 6,000. The
Musalmans found there much gold in a chamber ten cubits long by
eight broad..."

4. Hasham bin 'Amru al-Taghlab Khandahar (Maharashtra)

"He then went to Khandahar in boats and conquered it. He
destroyed the Budd (idol) there, and built in its place a mosque."

--------------

Name Of The Book: Tarikh-i-Tabari

Name Of The Historian: Abu Ja'far Muhammad bin Jarir at-Tabari

About The Author: This author is considered to be the foremost
historian of Islam. The above mentioned book written by him is
regarded as the mother of histories.

The Muslim Rulers He Wrote About:

1. Qutaibah bin Muslim al-Bahili (AD 705-715) Beykund (Khurasan)

"The ultimate capture of Beykund (in AD 706) rewarded him with
an incalculable booty; even more than had hitherto fallen into the
hands of the Mohammedans by the conquest of the entire province of
Khorassaun; and the unfortunate merchants of the town, having been
absent on a trading excursion while their countrywas assailed by
the enemy, and finding their habitations desolate on their return
contributed further to enrich the invaders, by the ransom which
they paid for the recovery of their wives and children. The
ornaments alone, of which these women had been plundered, being
melted down, produce, in gold, 150,000 meskals; of a dram and a
half each. Among the articles of the booty, is also described an
image of gold, of 50,000 meskals, of which the eyes were two
pearls, the exquisite beauty and magnitude of which excited the
surprise and admiration of Kateibah. They were transmitted by him,
with a fifth of the spoil to Hejauje, together with a request that
he might be permitted to distribute, to the troops, the arms which
had been found in the palace in great profusion."

Samarkand (Farghan "A breach was, however, at last effected in
the walls of the city in AD 712 by the warlike machines ofKateibah;
and some of the most daring of its defenders having fallen by the
skill of his archers, the besieged demanded a cessation of arms to
the following day, when they promised to capitulate. The request
was acceded to the Kateibah; and a treaty was the next day
accordingly concluded between him and the prince of Samarkand, by
which the latter engaged for the annual payment of ten million of
dhirems, and a supply of three thousand slaves; of whom it was
particularly stipulated, that none should either be in a state of
infancy, or ineffective from old age and debility. He further
contracted that the ministers of his religion should be expelled
from their temples and their idols destroyed and burnt; that
Kateibah should be allowed to establish a mosque in the place of
the principal temple...."

"...Kateibah accordingly set set fire to the whole collection
with his own hands; it was soon consumed to ashes, and 50,000
meskals of gold and silver, collected from the nails which had
been used in the workmanship of the images."

2. Yaqub bin Laith (r. 870-871 Balkh and Kabul (Afghanistan)

"He took Bamian, which he probably reached by way of Herat, and
then marched on Balkh where he ruined (the temple) Naushad. On his
way back from Balkh he attacked Kabul..."

"Starting from Panjhir, the place he is known to have visited,
he must have passed through the capital city of the Hindu Sahis to
rob the sacred temple -- the reputed place of coronation of the
Sahi rulers -- of its sculptural wealth..."

"The exact details of the spoil collected from Kabul valley are
lacking. The Tarikh [-i-Sistan] records 50 idols of gold and
silver and Mas'udi mentions elephants. The wonder excited in
Baghdad by Baghdad by elephants and pagan idols forwarded to the
Caliph by Ya'qub also speaks for their high value."

About The Author: This author spent 40 years in India during the
reign of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni (r. 997-1030). His history treats
of the literature and learning of the Hindus at the commencement of
the 11th century.

The Muslim Rulers He Wrote About:

1. Jalam ibn Shaiban (9th century) Multan (Punjab)

"A famous idol of theirs was that of Multan, dedicated to the
sun, and therefore called Aditya. It was of wood and covered with
red Cordovan leather; in its two eyes were two red rubies. It is
said to have been made in the last Kritayuga .....When Muhammad
Ibn Alkasim Ibn Almunaibh conquered Multan, he inquired how the
town had become so very flourishing and so many treasures had
there been accumulated, and then he found out that this idol was
the cause, for there came pilgrims from all sides to visit it.
Therefore he thought it best to have the idol where it was, but he
hung a piece of cow's flesh on its neck by way of mockery. On the
same place a mosque was built. When the Karmatians occupied Multan,
Jalam Ibn Shaiban, the usurper, broke the idol into pieces and
killed its priests..."

2. Sultan Mahmud of Gazni (AD 997-103 Thanesar (Haryana)

"The city of Taneshar is highly venerated by Hindus. The idol
of that place is called Cakrasvamin, i.e. the owner of the cakra,
a weapon which we have already described. It is of bronze, and is
nearly the size of a man. It is now lying in the hippodrome in
Ghazna, together with the Lord of Somnath, which is a
representation of the penis of the Mahadeva, called Linga."

3. Somnath (Gujrat)

"The linga he raised was the stone of Somnath, for soma means
the moon and natan means master, so that the whole word means
master of the moon. The image was destroyed by the Prince Mahmud,
may God be merciful to him! --AH 416. He ordered the upper part to
be broken and the remainder to be transported to his residence,
Ghaznin, with all its coverings and trappings of gold, jewels, and
embroidered garments. Part of it has been thrown into the
hippodrome of the town, together with Cakrasvamin , an idol of
bronze, that had been brought from Taneshar. Another part of the
idol from Somnath lies before the door of the mosque of Ghaznin,
on which people rub their feet to clean them from dirt and wet."

About The Author: This author's work comprises the whole of the
reign of Subuktigin and that of Sultan Mahmud down to the year AD
1020.

The Muslim Rulers He Wrote About:

1. Amir Sbuktigin of Ghazni Lamghan (Afghanistan)

"The Amir marched out towards Lamghan, which is a city
celebrated for its great strength and abounding wealth. He
conquered it and set fire to the places in its vicinity which were
inhabited by infidels, and demolishing idol temples, he
established Islam in them. He marched and captured other cities
and killed the polluted wretches, destroying the idolaters and
gratifying the Musulmans."

2. Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni (AD 997-1030) Narain (Rajasthan)

"The Sultan again resolved on an expedition to Hind, and
marched towards Narain, urging his horses and moving over ground,
hard and soft, until he came to the middle of Hind, where he
reduced chiefs, who, up to that time obeyed no master, overturned
their idols, put to the sword the vagabonds of that country, and
with delay and circumspection proceeded to accomplish his
design..."

3. Nardin (Punjab)

"After the Sultan had purified Hind from idolatry, and raised
mosques therein, he determined to invade the capital of Hind to
punish those who kept idols and would not acknowledge the unity of
God...He marched with a large army in the year AH 404 (AD 1013)
during a dark night..."

"A stone was found there in the temple of the great Budda on
which an inscription was written purporting that the temple had
been founded 50,000 years ago. The Sultan was surprised at the
ignorance of these people, because those who believe in the true
faith represent that only seven hundred years have elapsed since
the creation of the world, and the signs of resurrection are even
now approaching .The Sultan asked his wise men the meaning of this
inscription and they all concurred in saying that it was false,
and no faith was to be put in the evidence of a stone."

4. Thanesar (Haryana)

"The chief of Tanesar was...obstinate in his infidelity and
denial of God. So the Sultan marched against him with his valiant
warriors, for the purpose of planting the standards of Islam and
extirpating idolatry.."

"The blood of the infidels flowed so copiously, that the stream
was discolored, not withstanding its purity, and people were
unable to drink it...The victory gained by God's grace, who has
established Islam for ever as the best religions, notwithstanding
that idolaters revolt against it...Praise be to God, the protector
of the world, for the honor he bestows upon Islam and Musulmans."

5. Mathura (Uttar Pradesh)

"The Sultan then departed from the environs of the city, in
which was a temple of the Hindus. The name of this place was
Mahartul Hind... On both sides of the city there were a thousand
houses, to which idol temples were attached, all strengthened from
top to bottom by rivets of iron, and all made of masonry work..."

"In the middle of the city there was a temple larger and firmer
than the rest, which can neither be described nor painted. The
Sultan thus wrote respecting it: --'If any should wish to
construct a building equal to this, he would not be able to do it
without expending an 100,000,000 red dinars, and it would occupy
200 years even though the most experience and able workmen were
employed'... The Sultan gave orders that all temples should be
burnt with naptha and fire, and leveled with the ground."

6. Kanauj (Uttar Pradesh)

"In Kanauj there were nearly 10,000 temples, which the
idolaters falsely and absurdly represented to have been founded by
their ancestors two or three hundred thousand years ago...Many of
the inhabitants of the place fled and were scattered abroad like
so many wretched widows and orphans, from the fear which oppressed
them, in consequence of witnessing the fate of their deaf and dumb
idols. Many of them thus affected their escape, and those who did
not fly were put to death."

I rest my case here and allow the readers to judge the facts for
themselves.

Also read the Travels of Ibn Battuta for more information on the
issue of Islamic Rule in India.